What Marumo Gallants coach anticipates in CONFED Cup last 8

Marumo Gallants interim coach Raymond Mdaka has revealed what he anticipates in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals. 

Gallants pulled one of the greatest comebacks in the Confederation Cup from two goals down to beat the Congolese side FC Saint Eloi Lupopo 3-2.

The game took place at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday night. Goals from Sibusiso Sibeko, Ranga Chivaviro and Judas Moseamedi saw Maduka’s side cruising to the tournament’s quarterfinals finishing top of Group A with 12 points. 

RAYMOND MDAKA’S EXPECTATIONS 

“Once you get into a competition you cannot drop it in the way. You just have to go throughout,” Mdaka said in a post-match interview. 

“We are expecting challenges like the ones we have. It was not an easy one. People might take it like we just went through but it wasn’t an easy one.

“But we will take each game as it comes. Whoever we will be playing against is fine, we will take it as it comes. 

“You won’t say a lot because we don’t know a lot about those teams. Even if you know a lot, the most important thing is how you approach your games.”

Reflecting on the game itself, Mdaka noted that he was happy with his players’ character to bounce back into the game.

‘WE WANTED TO FINISH AT THE TOP’

“This is one thing we wanted. We wanted to finish at the top. As much as we knew that it wouldn’t be easy but congratulations to the boys. I think we did a good job,” he added. 

“We know the character of our boys. As you could see, we wanted to give a number of players a chance and most of them are those who were not playing regularly. But we knew the character that they had.

“They might have taken it easy that we have already qualified to concede the two goals, but we were able to make it up and did well in the second half.”

The draw for the quarterfinals will be held on Wednesday, 5 April 2023. 

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